Ryan Aldred, leader of the Socialist Party in Plymouth
We in the Socialist Party fully agree that the price of fuel is extortionately expensive and has made a major contribution to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Where we disagree is about the tactics used to draw attention to this issue, taken by Plymouth and Saltash Fuel Rebellion. The blockade of the Tamar Bridge will affect people who do not need persuasion about the cost of living crisis and will repel them, as they will remain in queues created by this action, which will cost them more money as they become entangled in congestion.
The threat of a blockade has already achieved the goal of raising awareness on this issue, so that a change in tactics even at this late stage will not lose anything, but will win the sympathy of those who will undoubtedly agree with the cause.
Where pressure is needed, it is not the public, but the oil and government profiteers who have bled us to death with crippling fuel tariffs.
Instead of blocking Tamar, if we have a targeted approach, coordinating revolving pickets and gas station boycotts while putting pressure on the government to act, we can hit oil barons in the pockets, keep the public firmly at bay, and direct the righteous anger that exists in the lap of the government.
We would suggest the following steps forward:
1. Immediate end of the blockade of the Tamar Bridge – do not throw away the good advertising with a bad tactical call
2. Election of a Democratic Committee to oversee the future actions of Plymouth and Saltash Fuel Rebellion
3. Targeted revolving pickets at petrol stations, accompanied by a targeted boycott to hit oil companies in the pockets while involving the public
4. Accept a call for public ownership of the fuel industry and energy companies to unlock existing obscene wealth and use it to invest in cheap and environmentally friendly green alternatives
5. Organizing mass protests and lobbies of MPs and advisers to end the cost of living crisis by adopting similar policies along with raising the minimum wage to £ 15 per hour
The Socialist Party hopes that the organizers of the fuel riot protest will consider the impact that such an action will have on people hoping to win.
We offer the above course of action and will continue to fight against the cost of living, including the extortionate cost of fuel. We invite those who wish to join us in building such an action by taking the steps described above, which we will be happy to support.
We cannot support this blockade when a different course of action can be more effective and affect those responsible, not those who are already suffering from the cost of living crisis.
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